Smart Contracts
Intermediate
Updated 11/26/2025
What is
MEV Resistance?
Ergo's design features that reduce Maximal Extractable Value attacks like front-running and sandwich attacks common on account-based DeFi.
MEV (Maximal Extractable Value) resistance refers to Ergo's architectural advantages that make it difficult for miners or validators to extract value by reordering, inserting, or censoring transactions. The eUTXO model's deterministic execution and local state make MEV attacks significantly harder than on account-based chains.
Key Points
- eUTXO model provides natural MEV resistance
- Deterministic transaction execution
- No global state manipulation
- Local ordering instead of global mempool
- Harder to front-run or sandwich attack
- Fairer DeFi for regular users
Use Cases
1
Fair DEX trading without front-running
2
Predictable transaction costs
3
Protection for DeFi users
4
Trustworthy oracle updates
Technical Details
In account-based chains, miners can see pending transactions and insert their own to profit (front-running). Ergo's eUTXO model uses local state - each transaction specifies exact inputs and outputs. This determinism makes it harder to profitably reorder transactions, as outcomes are predictable before submission.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about MEV Resistance
Common questions about this topic
How to use Spectrum DEX on Ergo?
Spectrum Finance is best treated as a historical Ergo DEX reference: the team published a sunset notice and froze contracts in February 2024. If you are studying old Ergo AMM flows, review Spectrum as a reference implementation, but do not assume it is an active venue for new swaps or liquidity. For any live trading, verify the current venue, liquidity, contract status, and official links first.
How-to
DeFi
What is MEV resistance and why does Ergo have it?
MEV (Maximal Extractable Value) is profit extracted by reordering, inserting, or censoring transactions - think front-running and sandwich attacks. Ergo's eUTXO model provides structural MEV resistance: transactions reference specific boxes (UTXOs), making reordering attacks much harder. There's no shared global state to exploit like in account-based chains.
Explainer
Technology
How to provide liquidity on Ergo?
Providing liquidity on Ergo depends on the current active DEX or AMM venue. In general, you deposit equal value of two assets into a pool, receive LP tokens representing your share, and earn a portion of trading fees. Spectrum Finance is historical/frozen since February 2024, so verify the active venue, contracts, liquidity depth, and withdrawal process before depositing funds.
How-to
DeFi
How to get started with Ergo?
Start by getting a wallet (Nautilus for browser, Terminus for mobile). Back up your seed phrase securely offline. Get some ERG from a current exchange or verified venue, then make a small test transaction. After that, explore NFTs, mining, DeFi references, or the developer stack if you're a builder.
How-to
Getting Started